Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (a.k.a. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or MvC2) is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of fighting games. With the final installment of the series, Capcom simplified the engine so that it would be more accessible to casual players, in order to bring in new players, as interest in arcade fighting games had declined. Changes were made to the air combo system and the button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main buttons and 2 assist buttons. The game also features 3 on 3 tag, compared to the 2 on 2 tag from previous games in the series. It is the only game in the series to use the NAOMI system, which is used mostly for 3D games. It is mainly seen in this game in the backgrounds and system effects, as well as Abyss's sphere. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was later ported to the Dreamcast, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox ports of this game saw limited production for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 due to Capcom losing the Marvel license. While these versions are merely uncommon, high demand has caused their prices to skyrocket both in stores and online. Ironically, the Dreamcast version is the closest of the six home console ports to the arcade version, and at the same time it is the cheapest due to a higher number of copies produced. The Dreamcast version is considered to be the most faithful conversion of the home console ports, likely due to the similarity between the Dreamcast and NAOMI arcade hardware. Although the Xbox version is on the backward compatibility list for the Xbox 360, it suffers from slow downs and broken character sprites and backgrounds when played on the 360. This is the first and only Marvel vs. Capcom game without character-specific endings, as one will get the same end regardless of the characters one uses or how quickly one defeats the final opponent. Story Two years after the battle against Onslaught, peace in the planet Earth was restored until a mysterious entity named Abyss, shrouded the atmosphere with his dark energy. It was consumed within a sphere that the being was holding close to him; With his immense strength, it blew passed a desert and the plant life was also ruined. A pirate known as Ruby Heart discovered the energy and warned the heroes and villains from the two camps who were fighting amongst themselves. Together, they must stop this new nemesis before the Earth and the universe is destroyed by Abyss' terrible power. In the end of the battle, the heroes and villains make a truce while taking a joy cruise on Ruby Heart's ship flying through the skies of the Earth; She holds the orb in her hand then casts it into the sea thus seeing the last of Abyss and closing the rivalry between Marvel and Capcom. Gameplay The gameplay is the same as the previous games, however, players can now select three fighters from the roster of Marvel and Capcom characters. Each character has at least one super combo and the entire team shares a single super meter. The characters can draw on this (at a minimum cost of one super meter level) to perform their super combos or other special super moves. Control is similar to the previous Vs. games, which itself derives from the Street Fighter games, except that the screen is now wider. The major difference is that instead of three punch/kick attack strength, there are only two (similar to the SNK-style format), with the last two buttons being replaced by assist buttons. Most often, a weak attack can chain two different hits. The second is the medium attack which was featured in the previous games. The player can also call in an off-screen character to do a selected special move by pressing the corresponding assist button. Each character has three assist types which cause them to execute different special moves (or in some cases, a regular move); this is chosen before the match. The player can call an assist at any time, and the assist character is vulnerable to attack or even knock out. The characters also receive double damage than normal when attacked during an assist, but will be able to recover all the health lost for as long as they remain unplayed. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 introduces the ability to force an opponent's teammate into the fight with a move commonly called a "snapback", which requires one super meter to execute. The character will flash for a moment and do a normal attack which will knock the opponent out of the playing field if it's not blocked. If successful, the current character will be knocked out of play and the next available partner will enter the fight on their behalf. If the move connects with both the active and an assist character, it introduces the possibility of the assist character being knocked out without the opponent being able to defend him/her. The arcade version features an "experience" system which unlocks hidden characters after a certain number of experience points are earned. This system was removed in the console versions in favor of the "Secret Factor" menu, where the player can buy hidden characters, backgrounds, and artworks using points (earned through normal playing). In the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 version, all characters are unlocked from the start. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are based on the Dreamcast code base and features Online Multiplayer, using the online system from Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, as well as widescreen support. It also features an optional graphics filter, using 2x or 3x bilinear filtering for smoother or crisper graphics. These versions also allow custom soundtracks, for those not keen on the game's jazz-like soundtrack. Capcom will be releasing a hip-hop mixtape on their websites around the release of the game, and are said to be currently exploring options of distributing it through the respective console's services. Characters The game adds all characters from previous games in the Vs. series, with the exception of Norimaro (a character exclusive to the Japanese version of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter) and characters who were palette swaps of existing characters such as U.S. Agent. Some, like Doctor Doom, have added moves, while bosses like Thanos are toned down for competitive purposes. Ryu plays akin to his counterpart from Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, instead of the "Complete Change" Ryu seen in the original Marvel vs. Capcom, since Ken and Akuma are once again part of the selectable roster. In addition, many new characters were added: Marvel's side now includes Cable, Wolverine with a regular bone skeleton, and Marrow, while Capcom's adds Felicia, Anakaris, and B.B. Hood from Darkstalkers, Guile from Street Fighter Alpha 3, and 2D fighting game debuts of Hayato (Star Gladiator), Jill Valentine (Resident Evil), Tron Bonne, and Servbot (Mega Man Legends). Also, several original characters were added to the Capcom side (Ruby Heart, SonSon — actually the granddaughter of the SonSon from a previous Capcom game — and Amingo), as well as a completely new boss (Abyss). There is a total of 56 characters to choose from. New Characters * Ruby Heart Ruby Heart is the lead character of the game. She is a French-speaking pirate who owns the flying ship that is responsible for carrying the Marvel and Capcom heroes into battle. Ruby Heart is looking for the mysterious orb that the final boss Abyss possesses. Once Ruby Heart finally obtains the orb, she doesn't seem very pleased with it, and throws it into the ocean. * Amingo The only solid information on Amingo is that he is on a search for a wind that is sweeping across his land and destroying any plant life that it happens to come into contact with. His appearance is that of a round, catcus-like humanoid with a sombrero. He can reshape his entire body into several forms for some of his attacks using a plant theme, and plant smaller, child like versions of himself. He is one of the few characters in the game also to feature a healing assist. * Sonson SonSon is a little monkey girl who is the grand daughter of a character named SonSon, who starred in an old Capcom game with the same name. In the game, she tries to find out why her village was struck by an unknown illness. Sonson and her father are both based on Sun Wukong, the main character of the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Several of her attacks are derived from the series, such as the size-changing bo staff, Wukong's ability to replicate himself using the hairs of his body, or Sonson trying to cook her opponent in the Shinka Hakke Jin and turn them into sake. * Abyss Abyss is the primary antagonist. Abyss was responsible for a mysterious wind that spread across the world, killing plant life in its wake. This phenomenon prompted numerous heroes and villains to band together and investigate. He's something akin to entropy incarnate, a fabled monstrosity that would bring the world back to primordial times, killing all life in the process. Abyss's true form is apparently that of a large glowing sphere that hovers around in the background. Abyss changes into three different forms when fighting. In the first stage of the battle the metal sphere surrounds itself with a giant suit of armor which is slow moving with powerful attacks. The fight takes place in a large temple like structure, presumably underground. After this form is defeated, the armor melts into the floor and the temple crumbles, leaving the fighters standing in a green pool of slime. The abyss sphere floats in the background as the second form reveals itself: A small green humanoid capable of creating paralyzing bubbles, shooting fire and energy beams, and sinking into the floor to avoid attacks. After this form is destroyed, the green slime turns orange and a large demonic beast forms around the Abyss sphere. This third form attacks with powerful energy attacks and sheer brute strength. If this form is defeated the sphere apparently loses its power and the cave and island the monster inhabits begins to sink. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has only one ending, which all the characters share. In it, the various fighters celebrate their victory over Abyss on the ship of the pirate, Ruby Heart. Although this varies on which version the player is playing at: in the home console the characters that are available in the beginning celebrate only where as in the arcade version more characters are shown with a few changes to some scenes. At the start of this sequence, Ruby is seen holding Abyss's cracked sphere, which she drops into the ocean, and it sinks into the depths. Playable Characters (*) Deafault characters at Arcade platforms Port Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was later ported to the Dreamcast, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox ports of this game saw a limited print run due to Capcom losing the Marvel license. While these versions are merely uncommon, high demand has caused their prices to skyrocket both in stores and online. On April 27, 2009, Marvel and Capcom jointly announced that the game would be coming to the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Store, with online multiplayer the summer of 2009.14 A demo was released on April 30 exclusively for the PlayStation Network. The full version of the game was released July 29, 2009 for Xbox Live Arcade and August 13, 2009 for the PlayStation Network to fairly positive reviews. The Xbox Live Arcade and PSN version was developed by Foundation 9 and is based on the Dreamcast version. Capcom has stated that they are unable to release the game on Wii due to licensing restrictions (they can only release it as a downloadable title) and WiiWare's filesize restrictions. Changes for the PS3 and Xbox 360 Version include three different filters for sprites, Smooth, Crisp, and Classic. The game can also be displayed in widescreen format, though gameplay has not been changed, and is still restricted to the standard square playable area. Since the game was originally designed with a 4:3 ratio in mind, some of the sprites are cut off in the widescreen format. The opening 'attract' screen has been removed, and the menus have been updated. There are multiplayer lobbies, with online play, as well as the ability to spectate matches while waiting to play. There is no longer a process for unlocking characters, their colors, or extra stages, as they are all available from the start. Several characters on the selection screen are also moved to slightly different locations. In addition, in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the "Dash" move can no longer be set as one button but must be done manually making combinations with certain characters significantly more difficult than in older versions. The general feeling is that this was done in order to attract a wider audience to online play instead of only high level players. It was announced that the game will be released on the Apple App Store on April 25, 2012. There’s a new feature called “Variable System” that allows the player to tag in other team members at any time or when needed, execute the most powerful attack – “Team Hyper Combo,” where all three selected members of a team combine their ultimate powers and attack the opponent. It will be compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_vs._Capcom_2:_New_Age_of_Heroes Trivia *Unlike the previous games, which displayed the names of the winning fighters when the battle was over, this game reverted to the more traditional "You Win" and "You Lose" messages used in the Street Fighter games. Ten years later, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds would continue this tradition. *Marvel vs Capcom 2 holds the number of 56 selectable fighters in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Whereas from Ultimate Marvel vs.Capcom 3 holds 50 selectable fighters including 2 DLC characters. *The line up from the Arcade and console versions are different. From the console version: Jill, Tron Bonne, Sakura, Rogue, Psylocke and Wolverine (X-Men vs. Street Fighter style) are giving a total of 24 selectable fighters. Whereas from the Arcade version: Jin, Morrigan, Captain Commando, B.B.Hood, Akuma, Gambit, Juggernaut, Magneto, Shuma-Gorath and Wolverine (Marvel vs.Capcom style) are giving a total of 28 selectable fighters. *The ending from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 are also different from Arcade and console versions. Here are the following after the first 4 pictures: #Ryu and Cyclops. #Amingo and Shuma-Gorath (Rogue in console version), Son-Son and Marrow. #Zangief, Iceman and B.B.Hood (Tron Bonne with Servbots in console version). #Jin and Juggernaut (Arcade version only). #Anakaris and Doctor Doom. #Morrigan (Sakura in console version) and Spider-Man. #Guile and Captain America, Captain Commando and Gambit (Jill and Psylocke in console version). #Hulk, Venom and Strider Hiryu. #Wolverine and Hayato. #Magneto and Akuma (Arcade version only). #Cable and Ruby Heart. Also See List of Marvel moves in Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes List of Capcom moves in Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes References Category:Games